“We were so excited, we wanted to lift the cup for Ghana”
|Bernard (Left) and Sowah (Right) represented Ghana in their new adopted home, Cape Town, South Africa.
Images: HWC/Zoe Hopkins
Sowah Okoe and Bernard Amatepe represented Ghana at the African Street Football Cup in Cape Town in September 2022.
Meet 25-year-old Sowah Okoe and 29-year-old Bernard Amatepe from Ghana. They started to play football at GIMAT Volunteer Network when they were young boys. When the opportunity came to participate in the first African Homeless Cup in 2018, they travelled to Cape Town. They have now been in South Africa for the last 4 years, pursuing their goals.
“We were so excited, we wanted to lift the cup for Ghana. Many people helped us to get to South Africa,” said Sowah.
In 2018, the Ghanaian team came second in the tournament. Both managers from GIMAT Volunteer Network and Oasis recognised Sowah and Bernard’s talent. They were strong players and had the potential to play in professional clubs, so Cliffy Martinus – the manager at Oasis, agreed to host them in South Africa.
When asked how he felt leaving Ghana and moving to South Africa, Sowah replied: “It is good to try and better our lives. We are very grateful to GIMAT and Oasis for this opportunity.”
After lots of training and perseverance, Sowah and Bernard attended trials at several professional clubs. They played well and were offered positions at more than one club. However, there was a condition attached to the offer – they needed to have South African permanent residency status. To obtain this, applicants need five consecutive years of work experience on a valid General Work visa.
But this has not deterred Sowah and Bernard. They have remained committed to their dream and have been working in a vegetable farm, found their own accommodation and are now accumulating the required time for the residency application. After four years, there is just one more year to go.
“Playing with Oasis team has improved me and made me look forward in my life. We just hope that a door will open, we don’t give up,” said Bernard.
“‘We are like brothers now, this experience has brought us together as a Ghanian family in South Africa,” said Sowah.
They are in regular contact with their teammates back home in Ghana. If GIMAT Volunteer Network has the chance to participate in the HWC, they might even return home to try out for the team!
Find out more about GIMAT Volunteer Network and Oasis - Reach for Your Dreams, our partners in Ghana and South Africa.
Words & Images: Zoe Hopkins